Related
Hi all
Ordered my 32gb, white N5, which should be delivered early next week.
But while anxiously waiting and reading first feedbacks, I had a question that seemed to have not been answered yet.
What about audio jack quality? I don't expect a smartphone to drive a high spec earbud like a professional DAC, but the N4 was a bit disappointing. Muddy bass, irritating highs, it was definitely not enough for my Fidelio S2.
So what to expect from the N5? Does it come with a Wolfson DAC (I don't think so) or with the same DAC the G2 is equipped with? How does it sound?
i would imagine it uses a Qualcomm dac like the N4 before it only perhaps an updated one. i found the N4 to sound alright on my Sure SE535's but bass not as clear / punchy as any wolfson ive had previously.
if you goto the snapdragon S800 page if i recall it does talk about the DAC
Also the S800 now has a Dedicated DSP processor and 4.4 uses direct audio tunneling to the DSP so it will be interesting to see how this will effect the audio quality to.
EDIT: from what i understand tho the Qualcomm DAC's are more analytical in sound they tend to give detail and lack warmth in the sound.
How is the volume? I'm hearing impaired and I was always listening my music on full volume.
I read somewhere that the N5 would be louder. Can someone confirm this for me?
audio is a big one for me as well.
if it isnt a big improvement over the n4 it will be getting sold. Ive been spoiled with my htc one after having the n4.
aimetti said:
audio is a big one for me as well.
if it isnt a big improvement over the n4 it will be getting sold. Ive been spoiled with my htc one after having the n4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, I used to listen my music on my ipod touch 64GB but it broke down. Just recently I started using my N4 as my daily music-"machine" D) and google music all access is great. However, the N4 was just not loud enough for some albums (usually older and quieter stuff) and 16GB weren't much enough.
I hope my new N5 white 32GB will be better as music player... I will find out at the latest on monday..
Just pasting my comment from a discussion on G+, some may find it useful:
From a quick test I believe it sounds better than my good ol' Nexus 4. The sound is a bit more bass-y, though I'm not sure if it's just "coloured", or the fact that Nexus 4's sound is a bit on the "tinny" side (note: I'm not using audiophile-grade gear, just slightly(?)-above-the-average Klipsch S4 in-ears). I'd say the sound is more balanced now. Also, output appears to be higher than on the Nexus 4.
Take the above with a grain of salt, this is a matter of personal preference after all. For proper analysis you should wait for Supercurio or someone with the proper tools + time to do it.
Edit: Before anyone asks about external DACs, just tried to connect my ODAC hoping for some sound to play from my speakers. No luck. Not even with a Y-Cable so I guess we're going to have to rely on custom kernels again.
phunkycow said:
Just pasting my comment from a discussion on G+, some may find it useful:
From a quick test I believe it sounds better than my good ol' Nexus 4. The sound is a bit more bass-y, though I'm not sure if it's just "coloured", or the fact that Nexus 4's sound is a bit on the "tinny" side (note: I'm not using audiophile-grade gear, just slightly(?)-above-the-average Klipsch S4 in-ears). I'd say the sound is more balanced now. Also, output appears to be higher than on the Nexus 4.
Take the above with a grain of salt, this is a matter of personal preference after all. For proper analysis you should wait for Supercurio or someone with the proper tools + time to do it.
Edit: Before anyone asks about external DACs, just tried to connect my ODAC hoping for some sound to play from my speakers. No luck. Not even with a Y-Cable so I guess we're going to have to rely on custom kernels again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!
With higher output, do you mean more volume, louder?
I also have Klipsch S4 (II) and I found it already quite (too?) bassy on my N4
Blocoholi said:
Thanks!
With higher output, do you mean more volume, louder?
I also have Klipsch S4 (II) and I found it already quite (too?) bassy on my N4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got the S4 (I), not sure if there's a difference!
Yep, that's what I meant about the output, sorry for the confusion.
Indeed. I hope the audio is better than the n4. Heck, my i9100 has better audio quality than the n4.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 4
I'm coming from a GNexus and when I plug my phone into the aux jack in my car it sounds absolutely terrible. It's just horribly muffled and muddy compared to virtually anything else I've plugged in.
Anyone know what kind of improvements I can expect? Was the N4 any better than the GNexus? It's pretty embarrassing to want to share a song with friends and after someone unplugs their iphone my phone sounds like garbage.
feedtheducks said:
Indeed. I hope the audio is better than the n4. Heck, my i9100 has better audio quality than the n4.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope nooope no no no no no nopity nope no no no. I'm sorry but having owned both Galaxy S2 and Nexus 4, the Nexus 4 definitely has better music-playing quality through headphones. 100%.
Will receive my Nexus 5 hopefully Monday!
Hopefully the audio quality can compete with a Samsung Galaxy S3 + Boeffla Sound Engine. I´ll really miss this one
So my Nexus 5's speaker is absolute garbage compared to my Nexus 5. the range is just non-existent and it has incredibly bad distortion during phone calls, and most music and videos.
Right now i'm ready to return the phone and spend another year with my nexus 4 over it, but before i do, i'm curious to know if mine might just be defective.
So to all the other owners, do you have distortion, pops and the like when making phone calls or having any audio through and how does it compare to your previous phones, especially any other Nexus 4 owners.
Right now my N4 sounds like my $150 desktop speakers compared to the N5.
neok44 said:
So my Nexus 5's speaker is absolute garbage compared to my Nexus 5. the range is just non-existent and it has incredibly bad distortion during phone calls, and most music and videos.
Right now i'm ready to return the phone and spend another year with my nexus 4 over it, but before i do, i'm curious to know if mine might just be defective.
So to all the other owners, do you have distortion, pops and the like when making phone calls or having any audio through and how does it compare to your previous phones, especially any other Nexus 4 owners.
Right now my N4 sounds like my $150 desktop speakers compared to the N5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats horrible, lets hope they are defective because i get my nexus 11/06 that would be a huge deal breaker if the speakers sounded like crap. coming from an htc one
HRodMusic said:
thats horrible, lets hope they are defective because i get my nexus 11/06 that would be a huge deal breaker if the speakers sounded like crap. coming from an htc one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that's why i'm posting because i find it incredibly hard to believe that the Nexus 5, in 20 god damn 13 had worse speakers than my G1 from 2008. And just to test, i broke out my G1, MyTouch 3G and Nexus One, and played the same ringtones on each. No distortion on any device but the N5.
The Verge even said in their review that they had distortion on the speaker which almost leads me to think this is normal, and unacceptable.
HRodMusic said:
thats horrible, lets hope they are defective because i get my nexus 11/06 that would be a huge deal breaker if the speakers sounded like crap. coming from an htc one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
all reviews are saying the speaker is terrible. same with the camera. but they're comparing it to 600+ dollar phones, you get what you pay for, the bulk on the 350 dollars is going toward the processor and screen
Enddo said:
all reviews are saying the speaker is terrible. same with the camera. but they're comparing it to 600+ dollar phones, you get what you pay for, the bulk on the 350 dollars is going toward the processor and screen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is true, but my $300 Nexus 4 from a year ago sounds 100 times better than my $400 (32gb) nexus 5 from this year.
And also the whole $700/$350 thing is kinda bull****. Though that phone does cost $700 to buy, it costs the same as what a nexus costs, usually around $150-$200 to produce. Google just cuts out all the middle men and carrier BS to get the price to be that low. Yes they do make sacrifices but my damn G1 sounds better than my Nexus 5, so that has nothing to do with cost.
neok44 said:
So my Nexus 5's speaker is absolute garbage compared to my Nexus 5. the range is just non-existent and it has incredibly bad distortion during phone calls, and most music and videos.
Right now i'm ready to return the phone and spend another year with my nexus 4 over it, but before i do, i'm curious to know if mine might just be defective.
So to all the other owners, do you have distortion, pops and the like when making phone calls or having any audio through and how does it compare to your previous phones, especially any other Nexus 4 owners.
Right now my N4 sounds like my $150 desktop speakers compared to the N5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's not just you, I thought it was me!
I came from an HTC One X and the call quality is terrible; a bit like what I imagine being a little bit deaf is like and when I'm playing a video or have a call on speaker, the thing buzzes and vibrates. Not good compared to my previous phone.
ugh. this isn't looking good. i really was hoping i was the only one. Hope we get a lot more replies here tonight.
Only one speaker?
On mine I noticed only one side is playing the music? anyone else?
I'm hoping it's something like a mic and speaker... and not a deffective
Aydthird said:
On mine I noticed only one side is playing the music? anyone else?
I'm hoping it's something like a mic and speaker... and not a deffective
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats correct. one side is the speaker and one is the mic. evidently this is normal practice on the iphone and many other devices. I just found out today.
Hows your quality though?
Two things i hear the crackle/pop on guaranteed is the ringing of a phone call and for some reason Lindsey Stirlings Crystalize, the first 30-40 seconds. lots of other examples but those two are the easiest and most noticeable i found.
neok44 said:
So my Nexus 5's speaker is absolute garbage compared to my Nexus 5. the range is just non-existent and it has incredibly bad distortion during phone calls, and most music and videos.
Right now i'm ready to return the phone and spend another year with my nexus 4 over it, but before i do, i'm curious to know if mine might just be defective.
So to all the other owners, do you have distortion, pops and the like when making phone calls or having any audio through and how does it compare to your previous phones, especially any other Nexus 4 owners.
Right now my N4 sounds like my $150 desktop speakers compared to the N5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aydthird said:
On mine I noticed only one side is playing the music? anyone else?
I'm hoping it's something like a mic and speaker... and not a deffective
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just got my white 32gb N5 today and indeed mine is suffering from similar issues. At first I was thinking my right speaker was DOA but I later learned it's not a speaker at all and is a mic - the N5 is a mono device. So, I played some music, an audio book and tried out some ringtones. A pop was audible on some ringtones and the audiobook. The sound gets pretty distorted when at the top two levels. I wonder if the pop is down to the audio coding because now I've downloaded higher quality files, the pop has gone away and distortion not quite as bad at high levels. Yet to try out a phone call over the speaker.
I've tested some music at 320 bit rate and hd video on youtube and the play store and same issues. and then no issues at all on the nexus 4.
Great I was so excited to purchase my first nexus phone. Ugh
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
You know, I was at Pete's Coffee last night with my girlfriend and 2 people were talking next to us about this exact same issue. A man in his early 30s was talking to a buddy of his about the Nexus 5, and naturally, I zoned out from what my girlfriend had to say overheard their conversation.
They were talking about the Nexus 5 and how one of them who had the phone loved it, except he said the speaker was very poor quality.
Hopefully mine does not have this issue when it arrives this Thursday.
The Nexus 5's speaker is actually pretty darn good. Not quite HTC One level but damn close. It uses the same chip technology the HTC One has but only has a mono speaker on the bottom edge instead. It should be MUCH better than the Nexus 4, the Galaxy S4, or similar.
If it is sounding distorted, it is quite possibly a damaged speaker or chip, and should be RMA'ed. Reviews (unlike what some whacko said) have actually been pretty positive about the speaker.
Vincent Law said:
The Nexus 5's speaker is actually pretty darn good. Not quite HTC One level but damn close. It uses the same chip technology the HTC One has but only has a mono speaker on the bottom edge instead. It should be MUCH better than the Nexus 4, the Galaxy S4, or similar.
If it is sounding distorted, it is quite possibly a damaged speaker or chip, and should be RMA'ed. Reviews (unlike what some whacko said) have actually been pretty positive about the speaker.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your now the second person i've seen to say that it's good. How much have you tested it though? phone calls? loud movies? music?
I want to keep this phone, or at least get a replacement, but i got about 5 people with me saying they have similar issues so it's getting harder to imagine that it's a defect.
My sound is pretty faint. I'll be lucky if I hear a text or call
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk
I have played music from a couple different sources at full volume and I haven't heard any distortion.
I actually just watched a full review of the phone here in the General section, and he says the speaker is absolutely great! although he does not ever test in the video.
Been using mine all day. A bit of music and a fair few YouTube video and I've not noticed any problems at all. Nowhere near as loud as the Note 2 I'm coming from, but few phones are as loud as it. So far I'm happy with speaker quality
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Well since some of you do not seem to have this issue I'm going to hope those of us with it just have defective units and i'm going to exchange mine.
If the one i get has the same issues though, i'll be sticking with my Nexus 4 for another year.
Hello everyone. I currently have the Nexus 4 and wanted to know how the audio compares on the Nexus 5 to the Nexus 4. One problem I've had with the Nexus 4 is that audio through wired headphones is too low. I'm a little hard of hearing and the volume through the headphone jack has always been an issue on the N4 for me. When I use the same headphones on a different phone (tried on galaxy s4 and iPhone) the volume is much higher. Can anyone tell me how the volume on the N5 compares. Is it higher than the N4?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
JohnnyDanger said:
Hello everyone. I currently have the Nexus 4 and wanted to know how the audio compares on the Nexus 5 to the Nexus 4. One problem I've had with the Nexus 4 is that audio through wired headphones is too low. I'm a little hard of hearing and the volume through the headphone jack has always been an issue on the N4 for me. When I use the same headphones on a different phone (tried on galaxy s4 and iPhone) the volume is much higher. Can anyone tell me how the volume on the N5 compares. Is it higher than the N4?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I can tell you is that the volume is still low on the Nexus 5. Not sure how it compares with the nexus fuor, but I am already looking for a portable amplifier.
In an unrelated question, I'd like to know if the Nexus 5 supports higher frequency (96 khz) lossless audio like the LG G2.
Well that's a shame. That is a big factor in me getting it. I use my phone so much for music I really need decent volume.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I dont know what you guys are talking about. I came from the note 3 and htc one and this is actually BETTER than both of them. Maybe not in pure volume, but the clarity is excellent. WAY better than the N4,
aooga said:
I dont know what you guys are talking about. I came from the note 3 and htc one and this is actually BETTER than both of them. Maybe not in pure volume, but the clarity is excellent. WAY better than the N4,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me, volume is just as important as clarity. I wish there was somewhere that I could actually test the Nexus 5. No one I know buys Nexus phones, so Im kind of stuck buying them and hoping I like what I get. Everything I read points to me liking it, but the volume is just a big concern.
JohnnyDanger said:
For me, volume is just as important as clarity. I wish there was somewhere that I could actually test the Nexus 5. No one I know buys Nexus phones, so Im kind of stuck buying them and hoping I like what I get. Everything I read points to me liking it, but the volume is just a big concern.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If volumes important I'd hold off and see what the kernel devs come up with. As it stands with no audio mods I can turn the volume all the way up and keep the headphones in. It's loud enough for me but if your hearing impaired it's another story. Compared to other phones I've owned it's pretty low(for now). Some apps like rocket player pro already have a preamp that you can enable and it helps but until the gain can be adjusted further it might not be enough. More gain = more distortion but it's a trade off I'd be willing to make. With all that said I will tell you as far as music clarity goes out of the box this is a great phone. No EQs enabled and it sounds rad. Turn on the EQ and I'm very happy so far.
The headphone volume on the nexus 5 is a joke. Can you fix it? Of course. But wait, it distorts and adds a ton of hiss. I don't know what Google was thinking when they made it that low. Compared to my iphone 5s, my nexus 5 would be at 100% when my iphone would be at 50%. I promptly sent it back for this very reason
does the 4.4.2 update fix the low sound or not? mine is stock low but if i use one of those volume boost, its pretty good but ofcourse distorts ot 100%loudness, goes with the territory i guess
I'm coming from the Galaxy S3. The volume is lower than other phones I've used but I found it more than adequate for all purposes. I find myself pumping it to 100% when I need to get a bit of beat going in my ears and it is enough. I don't think I can listen to 100% volume with the google music app for longer than 2-3min and I do like loud music.
FWIW, with the S3 i never had it above 75% since it was way too loud.
cobyman7035 said:
does the 4.4.2 update fix the low sound or not? mine is stock low but if i use one of those volume boost, its pretty good but ofcourse distorts ot 100%loudness, goes with the territory i guess
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, I was running 4.4.2 when I sent it back. This is probably hardware related and google can't really fix it. I remember most of the nexus devices being pretty low
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Install Viper4android. It will solve most of your audio problems. I'm very satisfied with the N5 audio now.
marleyfan61 said:
Install Viper4android. It will solve most of your audio problems. I'm very satisfied with the N5 audio now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried that the first day, it didn't do much. It might for others though
Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk
Droid Army said:
I tried that the first day, it didn't do much. It might for others though
Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm....that's very odd. Which music player are you using? Did you go into the Viper settings and activate it? It's made a huge difference in sound volume and quality for me. Previous to installing it my sweets spot for volume was around 80%. Post installation and set up it's now at about 50-60%. You have to play around with the settings tho. If you google Viper4android settings you will find some very useful profiles.
If you're using the top volume levels with in ears then its no wonder it sounds too quiet for you now. Nothing will bring that hearing range back once its lost, there's a reason for the warning.
Cranking the volume to compensate for loud environments is just about the worst thing you can do to your ears. It doesn't cancel it out it adds it together.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
bblzd said:
If you're using the top volume levels with in ears then its no wonder it sounds too quiet for you now. Nothing will bring that hearing range back once its lost, there's a reason for the warning.
Cranking the volume to compensate for loud environments is just about the worst thing you can do to your ears. It doesn't cancel it out it adds it together.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never use top volumes, I had to on the nexus. On my iPhone I listen around 55-60%. The nexus has terrible volume, it isn't my ears
Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk
Droid Army said:
I never use top volumes, I had to on the nexus. On my iPhone I listen around 55-60%. The nexus has terrible volume, it isn't my ears
Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am using Viper with JVC HA-FXT90 buds and I can get "stupid" level volume. It is not as loud or good with other earphones. I think the earphones are as much to blame as anything else.
rogem_kk said:
I am using Viper with JVC HA-FXT90 buds and I can get "stupid" level volume. It is not as loud or good with other earphones. I think the earphones are as much to blame as anything else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They're klipsh s4's. I've tried others with the same result. I'm sorry, compared to other devices the nexus is soft.
Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk
Droid Army said:
They're klipsh s4's. I've tried others with the same result. I'm sorry, compared to other devices the nexus is soft.
Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't have to be sorry. It's already been shown in the Anand review that the N5 has less max volume output then current flagships besides the G2.
However I still think with IEMs the max volume is louder then people should be listening to. Either you're Klipsch model has an unusually high impedance rating, no passive noise cancellation benefits or you're ears have just adjusted to higher volume levels. Just checked and the Klipsch S4 is rated at a fairly low impedance of 18 OHM.
This is going to be subjective of course but with Shure 115 in ears above 75% volume is painful since 4.4.2 These were advertised at the time as passive noise cancellation however and are rated at 16 OHM.
bblzd said:
You don't have to be sorry. It's already been shown in the Anand review that the N5 has less max volume output then current flagships besides the G2.
However I still think with IEMs the max volume is louder then people should be listening to. Either you're Klipsch model has an unusually high impedance rating, no passive noise cancellation benefits or you're ears have just adjusted to higher volume levels. Just checked and the Klipsch S4 is rated at a fairly low impedance of 18 OHM.
This is going to be subjective of course but with Shure 115 in ears above 75% volume is painful since 4.4.2 These were advertised at the time as passive noise cancellation however and are rated at 16 OHM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ones I use are noise isolating which is really nice and one of the reasons I bought them. I do tend to listen to music a bit on the louder side; I like the punch of the bass with my ear buds. I'm guess my ears have adjusted to a little bit higher of a listening area but still a lot of devices sound significantly louder than the nexus 5
Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk
Now that the Nexus 5 has been out for a while now, and should have went through multiple iterations of hardware revisions, what is the verdict on the Nexus 5's audio quality? This is both speakerphone and headphone.
It is known that the Nexus 5 has really shoddy audio quality, especially from the headphone port. See here: http://www.anandtech.com/show/7567/smartphone-audio-quality-testing/4
For me, this is really important, as I'm an audiophile, and I need to have excellent sounding audio. I'm on a Galaxy Note 3, but considering coming to the Nexus 5 as I've really had it with the ridiculous random reboots with the Note 3.
I'd really like to get some input from people who can contribute subjectively as well as those who might have tested it like Anandtech did.
Thanks in advance!
The speaker is okay, nothing to write home about but not terrible. I'd say it's better than the Nexus 4 but certainly not as good as the HTC One M7/M8. The headphone jack is awful. I'm not quite an "audiophile" but the sound is not good. It's still listenable, but it's a significant step down from the HTC One M7 or Galaxy S3 I've used in the past. It's actually to the point where I would rather listen to music over bluetooth than use my headphones because the quality drop over bluetooth isn't as significant as the difference in DAC quality between the N5 and my bluetooth receiver.
All in all, audio quality is probably the one thing that makes me regret the phone. If you plan on using headphones with the phone a lot, and don't want to deal with a USB DAC (including the issues getting it working on the Nexus 5) I would avoid the phone. I wish I had waited and picked up an HTC One M8 honestly, and that would be my recommendation. Now that they've dropped the "Beats" branding the audio quality is actually very good without the overpowering bass of the original M7.
Thanks so much for the in-depth explanation. I guess that takes me out of the running for a Nexus 5.
ajm786 said:
Now that the Nexus 5 has been out for a while now, and should have went through multiple iterations of hardware revisions, what is the verdict on the Nexus 5's audio quality? This is both speakerphone and headphone.
It is known that the Nexus 5 has really shoddy audio quality, especially from the headphone port. See here: http://www.anandtech.com/show/7567/smartphone-audio-quality-testing/4
For me, this is really important, as I'm an audiophile, and I need to have excellent sounding audio. I'm on a Galaxy Note 3, but considering coming to the Nexus 5 as I've really had it with the ridiculous random reboots with the Note 3.
I'd really like to get some input from people who can contribute subjectively as well as those who might have tested it like Anandtech did.
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use Poweramp & Flac files on my N5 & klipsch headphones, while ok it's by no means great.
You have the Note 3 atm, the N5 is no where near as good audio wise.
I had the N3 & tried the S5 both are way better than the N5.
Atm I use the M8 for proper audio quality.
It's your choice, the N5 is a great device but not for music.
I use beats headphones and Viper4android, along with poweramp and flac as stated above and I have pretty good sound. Not nearly as sweet as the M7 was but definitely above average. I think a combination of good after market headphones and a reliable audio mod can make a so-so sound situation much better. If you have the means and sound is important, then you may want a different device. But if you don't or already have the N5, there are ways to improve the sound significantly. That's my penny and a half.
Mine sounds great using Poweramp and some Klipsch earphones
Honestly, the sound is definitely sub par. I get it, it's a $349-$399 phone & corners are cut somewhere. I have been to see bands play & my siblings & friends with different phones record bands & clips & their playback makes my n5 look like garbage. (They have note3, m7, iPhone 4s/5/5s). Headphone jack isn't awesome either.
I stream music a lot in my car using an auxiliary wire & it isn't awesome, but it isn't atrocious either.
Sound & battery are really killing me with this device.
ajm786 said:
should have went through multiple iterations of hardware revisions...
...I'd really like to get some input from people who can contribute subjectively as well as those who might have tested it like Anandtech did.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There have been no hardware revisions at this time so everything is the same as when Anandtech did their tests, and no one tests like Anand does so you've already read the best info out on the subject.
I think the audio quality is above average for a mobile device, but isn't in the same league as the hardware used for the high end Samsung or HTC phones. Software mods such as Viper4Android can make up most of that difference.
The only real issue with the external audio is the stereo crosstalk in the upper volume steps which I've not needed to use as it's plenty loud for my ears.
Came from an S4, and expected to be disappointed by the audio quality of the N5, but I wasn't. The speaker does suck though. N5 + faux sound + Sony MDR-1R headphones = not too shabby an experience (prefer it to the S4).
I know this is a silly comparison but I really need the answer of the question - which one is with better audio quality on headphones/earpods, I mean max volume, noises, purity etc.
I am using the phone most of the time listening to music and I'm so satisfied with the sound of this Motorola, in other hand I'm reading lots of negative opinions about the sound of Nexus 5 that's why I'm wondering if it's worth buying LG ...
Enrik0 said:
I know this is a silly comparison but I really need the answer of the question - which one is with better audio quality on headphones/earpods, I mean max volume, noises, purity etc.
I am using the phone most of the time listening to music and I'm so satisfied with the sound of this Motorola, in other hand I'm reading lots of negative opinions about the sound of Nexus 5 that's why I'm wondering if it's worth buying LG ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Nexus 5 using Viper4Android in my opinion sounds better than my PC using the same earphones, and my PC has this: http://www.soundblaster.com/products/sound-blaster-recon3d-pcie.aspx
lol
I just recently moved from a defy to n5 and the nexus is certanly better sounding to my ears.
And even if you're just listening to music having a more modern hardware can be a nice change from the sluggishness of the defy. Especially spotify and google play music are almost unusable on my defy but run absolutely perfectly on the n5.
For reference I'm using Audio Technica ATH-IEM50 in ear monitors that are extremely sensitive to background hum and can't hear any on the n5.
The only thing I really can't comment on is the max listening volume being "enough" as I've always listened on very low volumes (<50%) on both devices and haven't done a full volume comparison.